RATING: PG...so far.
SUMMARY: Rich girl Buffy falls for poor boy Angel. "Pretty In Pink" esque storyline.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Everybody's normal. No Slayers, no vampires.

1

"You cheated!" five year old Melissa Riches yelled at the girl playing hopscotch with her.

Buffy Summers put her hands on her hips, stopping dead in her tracks. "I did not. I skipped the four!"

"No, you didn't! Your sneaker touched it. You lost, Buffy. I won."

"No, I won!"

Redheaded Willow Rosenberg ran over. "Don't yell. It's not nice."

"Willow, Buffy cheated," Melissa whined.

"You're lying. I didn't cheat!"

Melissa hated Buffy. She thought the little blonde girl was the meanest person on earth. "You are so mean, Buffy. I hate you." She shoved Buffy with both of her hands, causing her to fall backward onto the concrete.

From the other side of the playground, Melissa's twin brother saw his sister push their classmate. He ran over to find out what had happened. "Missy, why did you push Buffy?" he demanded angrily.

"She cheated, Angel!" Melissa explained. "So I pushed her."

"That's not nice," he chastised. "I'm telling Mom when we get home."

"You're a tattletale."

"I don't care. You shouldn't push people."

Melissa pouted. "You are as mean as Buffy is. Buffy and Angel sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Angel pushing a baby carriage. Sucking his thumb, wetting his pants, baby's gonna do the hula dance."

She kept singing it as she walked away, Willow following her like a puppy. Buffy was still sitting on the ground, angry tears in her green eyes. "I didn't cheat," she told Angel, whimpering.

"Missy's a sore loser." He took Buffy's hand and helped her up.

"Do you think I'm mean?"

Angel shook his head. "No. I think you're pretty."

She giggled. Her father was the only person who ever told her she was pretty. "I like you, Angel. You aren't mean like your sister. I don't like her."

"I don't like her either," he agreed.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" Buffy asked.

He scrunched up his nose. "Ew! Girls have kudies."

"I do not! And I'm not a girl. I'm Buffy."

Angel thought about it for a minute. "Okay, I'll be your boyfriend."

"Yay! I love you, Angel," she said, kissing him quickly on the lips.

"I love you, too, Buffy."

***

(13 years later)

"I can't do this anymore, Angel," Kelley Page said to her boyfriend when he dropped her off at her house after their date.

He sat behind the wheel of his Ford Taurus, looking at her with confusion in his brown eyes. "What are you talking about? Can't do what anymore?"

Kelley sighed. "Us. I'm sorry, but I just can't take it."

"I must be missing a piece of the puzzle or something because I'm really lost."

"How long have we been dating, Angel? Three years, give or take a few months? In some societies, we'd be considered an old married couple by now. And look at us. You don't touch me except to kiss me. In those three years, you've never even attempted to lay a hand on me."

Angel lifted his eyebrows at his girlfriend. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes! No! I don't know. Look, all I know is that we never got past the kissing stage of our relationship. We should have been at the next level years ago."

"I'm sorry, Kell, but you know that I don't want to yet. It's just not on my list of priorities," he explained. "There are other things that are more important to me."

She nodded. "I know that, but…but I can't wait any longer. I didn't want to be the last virgin in our graduating class, so I…"

"You what?"

"Found someone who wasn't as noble and chivalrous as you are, so to speak. I want to be with him. Parker doesn't have all the insane goals you do. Angel, I want to break up."

He processed the information. "Let me get this straight. You're dumping me because I don't want to have sex?"

"That's only part of the reason, but it is a reason. I want to get out of this town and do something with my life, make a name for myself. How can I do that if I'm Mrs. Angel Riches, wife of the local department store manager? You're never going to leave Sunnydale and I can't live here forever."

"I have dreams that I want to fulfill, I will get out of here," he swore.

Kelley shook her head. "No, you won't. You only think you will. As long as your mother is sick, you'll still be here supporting her. Angel, you're too loyal to leave. You have obligations that will always come before me. I'm fine with that; hell, I even understand it. But I want something more, and I am not going to find it with you."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

She shrugged. "I guess I just came to the realization. I still care for you, but I fell out of love with you a long time ago."

"Get out of the car, Kelley," he ordered softly.

"I'm sorry. You'll find someone else, I know you will," she said as she got out of his car.

After she shut the door, Angel peeled out of the driveway, heading home. For three years, he devoted himself to Kelley and to being the perfect boyfriend. And how did she repay him? By dumping him for Parker Abrams, the town bad boy.

Angel decided right then and there that he would no longer be anyone's doormat. He was sick and tired of people walking all over him. And he swore to himself that it would never happen again.

***

2

Adrienne Riches sat on the couch when Angel stormed through the front door. "How was your date with Kelley tonight?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom."

"Is something wrong?"

He nodded. "Kelley…she decided I'm not enough for her anymore. She wants more than she thinks I'm capable of giving her. So she got it from someone else."

"I'm so sorry. I know how much you care about her."

"She was my first girlfriend, the first girl I ever really kissed and the first I loved. And now after three years, I'm not what she wanted. I always expected to be with Kelley forever."

Mrs. Riches frowned. "Breaking up is never easy. It's hard and it'll hurt and it will take some time, but pretty soon you'll find another girl who's crazy about you."

Angel shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if there is anyone out there for me. Kelley sure wasn't."

"Hey, don't say that. You're smart, funny, articulate, handsome and talented. Not to mention loyal, gifted, kind, generous, hardworking and so many other things. You're a good boy, Angel. Girls like that."

"No, Mom, you're wrong. The girls at Sunnydale High like the bad boys. Guys like me end up alone, staying at home on Friday nights watching old movies with their mothers. The good guys don't always get the girl."

"Then maybe Kelley wasn't the right girl."

"Maybe you're right. You know, I always thought she respected me because I never pushed it, because I always acted like a gentleman when we were together. Turns out she wanted me to push it, and when I wouldn't, she found it with someone else. She walked all over me, seeing God knows how many other guys behind my back for I don't know how long. I'm never going to let that happen again."

"You're hurting. Just give your wounds time to heal," his mother suggested.

He took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm really beat, I think I'll go to bed now." He leaned down, kissing his mother softly on the cheek. "Good night."

She smiled. "Sweet dreams, honey."

Angel walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. A solitary tear fell out of his eye when he plopped down on his bed. He had refused to let himself cry in front of his mother, she had enough to worry about, she didn't need to add his breakup to the mix.

A soft knock came from the door and his sister Melissa came in a few seconds later. "How are you doing, bro?" she asked, sitting down on the bed next to him.

"I've been better. How about you?"

She made a face. "Who cares about me? I'm talking about you. Look, I heard you talking to Mom. Sorry to hear about you and Kelley. She's such a bitch for cheating on you with Parker."

"How did you know about Parker?" he wanted to know.

"I–I just heard about it today in English. She was telling Cordelia Chase about him. I guess she's been seeing him for a couple months now and he gave Kelley an ultimatum. Either you go or he goes."

Angel closed his eyes. "And she chose him. She let me go."

"That's her mistake, then. Obviously she doesn't know a good thing when she sees it. Want me to beat her up for you?" Melissa asked, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder.

He smiled for the first time in an hour. "No thanks, Missy."

She stood up. "Kelley will be sorry, don't worry. Do you want me to hook you up with one of my friends? Willow or Anya or someone? I'm sure there's plenty of girls at Sunnydale High dying to go out with you, Mr. Valedictorian."

Angel shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I don't think I'm ready to jump back into the dating pool right away."

"All right, have it your way. I'm really sorry, Angel. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, especially you. You're such a great guy, any girl would be lucky to have you. Hell, if I weren't your sister…"

"Thanks, I think."

"Get some sleep. Because tomorrow morning, it's back to the hectic world of being single. Girls will be chasing you down like you're one of the Beatles or something once they know you're available."

"Somehow, I doubt it. See you in the morning."

"Okay. Night."

***

He climbed out of bed at four in the morning, unable to sleep any longer. Kelley's revelation plagued his thoughts, his dreams, it consumed every part of him. Angel couldn't get over that his girlfriend of three years had dumped him for being too noble and gentlemanly. Throwing on a tank top, sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants, he decided to vent his anger with extreme exercise.

Running out the door, Angel jogged. For miles; he sprinted through the town of Sunnydale, illuminated by only the moon and streetlights, trying to clear his head. A part of him was glad to be out of a relationship with Kelley. It was apparent that she wasn't nearly as committed to him as he was to her. Why suffer through a one-sided relationship with the end result being nothing but misery? But another part of him was bitter and angry that she had treated him like that, like he was simply disposable. And yet another part wanted to do nothing more than to forget.

He ran through the ritzy section of town, passing by the Summers' and Chase's mansions, side by side. The bedrooms in the houses were probably bigger than his entire house, Angel always thought. He wondered, sometimes, if his life would have been remarkably different if he'd lived in one of those houses instead of a tiny, three bedroom home in the poorest part of town. Would he be the same person? After years of pondering, Angel decided he'd never know.

Returning home at five-thirty, Angel immediately headed for the musty, damp basement. In the easternmost corner he'd put his workout necessities. A punching bag, rowing machine, bar and weights. Ripping off his sweatshirt and tossing it to the floor, Angel began to pummel the punching bag, pretending that it was really Parker Abrams.

Melissa heard her brother enter the house and got up to see what he was doing. She found him laying into the punching bag as if it had pissed him off, and cautiously took a step closer.

"You okay?" she asked.

Angel took another swing. "Fine," he replied without bothering to look up

"Angel, it's not good to keep things in."

"I'm not keeping anything in."

Melissa placed her hands on her hips. "Really? Because that's not how it seems to me. Talk to me, tell me how you really are."

He stopped, holding the bag in place. "Do you honestly want to know?"

"I'm your sister, I love and care about you and I'm concerned. Tell me."

"If you really want to know, fine, I'll tell you. I hurt, my heart is broken and I feel like my entire life is over."

She shook her head. "Don't say that. You're life is not over. Kelley is just a stuck-up, self-centered bitch for treating you like her lap dog for so long. Don't give up on everything you've worked for over her."

"You make it sound like I'm planning on committing suicide or go on a mass homicide spree and take out everyone that ever hurt me. I'm not that far gone in my anger. I don't hate the world. Right now I want to vent my anger and get on with my life."

"Maybe it's for the best. This can be a new chapter in your life. A whole new Angel. Think of it as your golden opportunity."

"No, if people can't accept me for who I am, that's their problem, not mine. But I refuse to change, or be someone I'm not just to please people. I spent three years trying to be the guy Kelley wanted me to be and I'm no better for it. There's bound to be someone out there who'll accept me for me and vice versa."

Melissa clapped her hands at her brother's speech. "Good for you. It's about damn time." She turned and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Angel asked, assuming that she's want to talk some more.

"Back to bed," she answered with a yawn. "It's too early to wake up for school. I can still get another hour of sleep. Oh, and do us all a favor before you get dressed for school…shower. You're sweaty and smelly. *So* not the impression you want to make on the single girls of Sunnydale High. Think less sweat and more stud. Later!"

***

Cordelia Chase bounded down the hall towards her friend's locker. She was practically jumping out of her skin with jubilation. Having just heard the best news in a long time, she needed to share it with her closest friend.

"I have got the greatest news in the world!" Cordelia exclaimed upon reaching the locker.

Buffy Summers pulled out her English book. "What's so exciting, Cordy? You look like you won the lottery."

"Kelley just told me that she went through with it. I can't believe it."

"Went through with what?"

Cordelia sighed. "Breaking up with Angel. I mean, they've been dating forever and she's been seeing Parker Abrams behind his back for months and now she gave Angel the old heave-ho."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "And why is this such great news to you? Some guy gets dumped and you're happy about it?"

"It's the opportunity I've been waiting for since…well, since forever. He's available, I'm available and *definitely* looking to hook up with him."

"You and Angel?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"Yep. Why, do you have a problem with that?"

She shut her locker door. "Not me. But if you want to lower yourself to that, then I say go for it. But you're risking your entire reputation."

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I'm going to tell you exactly what I think. First of all, he's a brain. Class Valedictorian. How are you going to keep up a conversation with him?"

"Well…we'll find something to talk about, I'm sure. Besides, who cares if he's a brain? The guy is gorgeous. Tall, dark and handsome with rippling muscles…hello, salty goodness!"

Buffy shook her head. "Okay, so he's hot. He's also dirt poor. Can you handle dating a guy that can't even afford a decent car? Look at what he drives; it's older than us and practically falling apart!"

Cordelia bit her lip. "I never thought about that."

"That's why you have me. To remind you of stuff like that. Cordy, do yourself a favor. Don't waste your time on some little flight of fancy. A loser like him isn't worth your time."

The bell rang for class. As she headed for her English class, Buffy smiled. She knew Cordelia wouldn't be able to stand a chance with Angel, not when she herself had been awaiting this opportunity for thirteen years. If anyone was going to be with him, it would be her.

***

Xander Harris took the seat next to his best friend. "Sorry to hear about it, man," he said to Angel.

Angel shrugged his shoulders. "It was probably for the best."

"You don't seem to be taking it too hard," Xander observed.

"I can't change the past, which is fine. I want to put it behind me. There's no sense dwelling on what might have been. Kelley and I are over and I have to move on. Three years of my life with her and this is where I ended up. It's over. End of story."

"What're you going to do about Prom?"

"Probably won't go. I'll work the late shift, more than likely," Angel answered.

Xander perked up, plastering a goofy smile on his face. "You can be my date," he offered jokingly.

"I'm not going to the Prom with you, as appealing as that sounds."

"Well, I am determined to win Class Clown and I need all the votes I can get. So you had better go."

"I'll tell Missy to vote for you twice."

"Does she have a date?" Xander questioned hopefully.

Angel laughed. "I know you've got a crush on my sister. Just ask her, I'm sure Missy will say yes. She's always saying how funny you are."

"You sure? She really said that about me?"

"Just ask her already!"

Mr. Giles, their English teacher, entered the classroom. "All right, settle down, class," he ordered in his thick British accent. "As you are well aware, today I am giving out your assignments for your final presentations. You'll be paired up with another student to give a five minute presentation about a specific author."

Angel listed with half an ear until his name was called out, pairing him with another student."Angel Riches and Buffy Summers, you'll be working together regarding Nathaniel Hawthorne."

He turned his head around, looking at Buffy Summers sitting diagonal to him. She shook her head as a sign of boredom. 'Oh yeah, I'm going to really enjoy this,' he thought. 'The Ice Princess.'

***

3

Xander laughed when he heard who his best friend was paired with. He leaned over, whispering, "My sympathies, man. Expect your first B ever."

Angel sighed. It wasn't going to be a fun project, but he was not about to get anything less than an A on it, regardless of his partner.

Class continued, Mr. Giles lecturing about the symbolism in Walt Whitman's poem "Oh Captain, My Captain." As diligently as ever, Angel copied down what the teacher was saying, knowing full well that Xander was not paying the least bit of attention. Usually during lunch, his friend would copy the notes so he didn't fall behind. But Angel loved hearing about the poem and its relationship to the Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. Literature intrigued him.

Mr. Giles stopped the class five minutes before the bell rang for the end of the period. "Now, I've ended class early so that all of you may get together with your partners and discuss your presentations. May I remind you that this project counts for thirty percent of your final grade. I expect nothing less than a three minute presentation from each pair. You may use visual aides if you deem them necessary. Very well, you have until three weeks from Tuesday. Also, keep in mind that I am aware that that particular date is the Tuesday following Prom and I will not accept any excuses for unpreparedness."

Xander patted Angel on the shoulder. "Good luck. See you at lunch."

Inwardly groaning, Angel turned around, finding that his partner was impatiently tapping her pen against her desk. He placed his books on the empty desk next to her and sat down.

"So, where do you want to start?" Angel asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't care. Wherever you want to begin is fine with me."

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you?"

"Sorry," she apologized half-heartedly. "I'm not in a study kind of mood right now."

Angel resisted the urge to ring her thin little neck. She was really aggravating him. "Look, obviously we're not going to get anything done right now. Do you want to meet at the library after school today?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Library?"

"Yeah. You know, where the books live."

"I know what a library is, thank you very much. Besides, I hate them. My dad has tons of historical literature books, including a lot of biographies. I'm sure he's got one on Hawthorne. Do you want to just meet at my house at three? You know where I live, right?"

"I think I can find it." 'Like anyone is Sunnydale *doesn't* know where Buffy Summers lives,' Angel thought. "But I can't stay for too long. I have to be at work at five."

She smiled. "Great, it's a date." 'Date. A date with Angel…well, sort of. This is turning out to be a red letter day after all. Eat your heart out, Cordelia Chase. He's all mine.'

***

"So, how'd it go?" Xander questioned Angel when he found his friend sitting at a table next to the windows, biting into his tuna fish sandwich.

"How did what go?"

Xander took a sip of his Pepsi. "Your little meeting with the Ice Princess. I'm surprised you survived the ordeal."

"Oh. She's completely exasperating. I honestly almost hit her. Total snob, that's for sure," Angel explained. "I'm going over to her house at three today to work on our presentation."

"Having a little tête-à-tête?

Angel scoffed. "Hardly. Five minutes alone with her and I might go insane."

"Five minutes with whom?" a female voice asked.

The two guys looked up, seeing Melissa holding a tray across the table from them. Angel smiled at his sister while the other boy remained tongue-tied. Melissa always took his breath away. It never failed; Xander thought she was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen, and had harbored a crush on her since he was a young boy.

"Buffy Summers," Angel answered.

"Why do you have to spend five minutes with her? She's evil, nasty, snobby and a whole bunch of other things that shouldn't be said in public."

"She and I were paired up by Mr. Giles to work on our final project together. Either I'll go nuts or homicidal, but it won't be pretty either way."

Melissa made a face. "Ugh. That's harsh."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm not at all looking forward to it. But, it's thirty percent of my final grade, so I guess I'll just grin and bear it. We only three weeks, and I'm sure we'll have it done by this weekend if we really work hard."

She laughed at her brother. "Sucks to be you. I'd hate to be working with Buffy. It's like working by yourself."

"I know. It'll definitely be a challenge."

Angel looked out the window to the sunny, grassy courtyard. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Kelley and Parker seated at one of the stone benches, engaged in a steamy embrace. Tears stung his eyes and one escaped, traveling down his cheek.

This didn't go unnoticed by his best friend. "You okay, Angel?"

Angel nodded quickly, wiping away his solitary tear. "Uh-huh. I–I'm going to the library to get a head start on that English project. Bye." He picked up his books and left the cafeteria in a hurry.

"What was that all about?" Melissa wanted to know.

Xander gazed out the window, seeing Kelley and Parker kissing. "I think I know." He pointed them out to her.

She fumed. "That brazen little bitch! Has she no common decency? I ought to go teach her a lesson for being so inconsiderate. And for breaking my brother's heart. She's making him miserable and they're not even dating anymore!"

"Angel's a tough guy, he'll bounce back."

"I can't believe she did that to him. After three years together and right before the Senior Prom. That girl has no class whatsoever."

Xander took a deep breath. "Um…speaking of the Prom, I…uh, I have a question to ask you."

"What question?"

"Would go with my date? That came out wrong, I meant to say, will you be my date?" he corrected himself nervously.

Melissa stared wide eyed at the boy. "Me? Go with you?"

He nodded. "Well, if you don't mind being seen going to the most important dance of our high school career with the class clown." When she didn't answer, Xander continued talking. "I'll understand if you say no, but at least –"

"I'll go with you."

"-- give it some thought…what?"

She grinned. "I'd love to go with you, Xander."

He jumped out of his chair. "This is so cool! I'm going to the Prom with Missy Riches!" He broke into a crazy dance, making Melissa laugh. She knew right then and there that she'd have a great time with him. Her only concern was finding a date for her brother.

***

Buffy applied a fresh coat of lipstick in the front hall, eagerly awaiting Angel's arrival. She wanted to look her best when he got there. In her mind, it was their first date; a date she'd been waiting for since their first kiss thirteen years earlier.

The doorbell rang and she jumped from the initial shock. 'He's here. Okay, act natural, Buffy. But charm him,' she reminded herself. She opened the door, smiling sincerely at the handsome young man on the other side.

"Hi. You're early," Buffy greeted.

"I figured we'd get more done that way," he replied. "Since I can only be here until four-fifteen."

She moved to the side, allowing Angel to step through the entryway. "Well, come on in and let's get started."

***

"Would you like something to drink? There's iced tea and soda in the fridge. Or if you're hungry, we have sandwiches and cookies," Buffy offered when she led Angel through the hallway.

He shook his head. "No thanks. I ate a big lunch," he replied.

"Okay. Do you want to get started?"

"Yes, I do. Did you find anything useful or helpful in your father's books?"

"Didn't get a chance to look yet. I just got home right before you got here." It was a lie. She'd sped the entire way home so she could adjust her hair and makeup before Angel arrived.

He clenched his jaw. "Why don't we look? The sooner we get started, the sooner we'll finish." 'I don't think I can take too much of this,' the thought. 'I'll really go nuts. She's driving me crazy already.'

"Follow me."

Buffy led him to her father's expansive library, cutting through the kitchen, family room and living room. Angel stared in awe at some of the furniture. Hand-crafted, most likely, along with expensive paintings and other antique decorations. 'I'll never live in a house this beautiful,' Angel concluded. 'Not even if I win the lottery four or five times.'

When they entered Mr. Summers' library, Angel practically had to hold onto the door frame to keep from falling over. Never in his eighteen years had he seen so many books in one place, including the Sunnydale Public Library. He could see rare first editions and collector's items.

"I know Dad's got a few books by Hawthorne but I can't remember their titles," Buffy said.

"I only know two off-hand. The Scarlet Letter and The Blithedale Romance. We'll probably have better luck if we take separate ends of the library. It'll get done quicker that way. You start here and I'll go to the other end," Angel suggested.

She nodded. It still astounded her that the boy she'd always had a crush on was actually standing in her home, and talking to her. It blew her mind. Granted, it took thirteen years and a high school English project to get it to happen, but Buffy wasn't about to let the opportunity pass her by. It was pretty much now or never.

She and Angel searched for five minutes in silence before either of them said anything. "Oh my God, I didn't realize Daddy still had this book. Have you ever read Charlotte's Web, Angel?"

He nodded impatiently. "A long time ago."

"It was one of my favorites. My mother used to read it to me before bed. What about Flowers in the Attic? Have you read that one?"

"Are you actually helping me look for these books or are you just reliving your childhood?" Angel demanded. "'Cause I have places to be."

Buffy sighed heavily. "Excuse me for trying to make civilized conversation."

"I didn't come here to converse, I came to work on this project we have to do. If you're not going to help me, then I'll leave and go to the public library."

"Sorry," she snottily replied.

"Look, maybe you don't care about this project, but I do. And I refuse to get anything less than an A on it because you have other things you'd rather be doing," he shot at her. His patience had worn thin and Angel was about to lose his temper.

Buffy glared at him. "Are you always this much of a jerk or is it because your girlfriend dumped you like yesterday's garbage?"

"You don't know anything about me or my problems. And don't you dare bring Kelley into this, or my relationship with her."

"Don't you mean former relationship? She's seeing Parker Abrams now, isn't she? Wow, she must have really gotten tired of the bug that seems to have crawled up your ass and died."

"Go to hell."

"No need to be so snotty. I was simply stating my opinion."

Something inside of Angel snapped. "That's it. I don't have to take this from you of all people. What the hell do you know about real people and their problems? Absolutely nothing! You live here in this grand old house of yours with your servants to wait on you hand and foot, completely sheltered from the outside world. You don't know what other people are going through.

"Not everybody has Daddy to take care of them. Some people are just getting by, working full-time and going to school while trying to survive because their father left when they were ten years old. And not everybody is going to automatically get accepted at an Ivy League college because their father plays golf with the Dean of Admissions. There are people who can work all their lives to get straight A's and have to go to community college because they can't afford to go to Emerson College, even though they got accepted there. So do me and yourself a favor, Buffy, and keep your opinions to yourself."

"You don't have to yell at me, my God. I don't appreciate it."

He shook his head. "I give up. I don't think I can work with you. I'll do the project by myself and drop off the notes when I'm done." Angel headed for the door, but turned around before exiting. "You know, I knew this wasn't going to work out. We're from two different worlds. Good-bye."

Buffy stared at the door after he left. 'What the hell just happened here? I don't know, but I have to do something. I can't let him think of me like that or he'll hate me. Not when I want him to love me like I love him.'

***

4

"Did you have fun at Buffy's house researching?" Melissa asked Angel when he returned.

"It was a blast, let me tell you. I'm doing the rest of the project by myself 'cause it beats the hell out of working with her," he explained.

She laughed. "Told you. Once a stuck-up snotty bitch, always a stuck-up snotty bitch. Some people will never change."

"I don't get women and I don't think I ever will. I've decided to give up on them," Angel announced.

"You can't do that, Angel. You can't give up on dating. Who's going to double at Prom with me and Xander?"

Angel raised his eyebrows. "You and Xander?"

She nodded her head. "He asked me today during lunch and I said yes. So, he's my Prom date. And now you have to go. I won't let you sit around at home while I'm there with Xander. Not going to happen."

"I don't know. Don't hold your breath, Missy."

"Angel…" she whined.

"We'll see. I have a question, though. What made you say yes to Xander?" he wanted to know.

Melissa shrugged. "He asked and I said yes. I've always like Xander, you know that. I know I'll have a good time with him and besides, you never know what might happen. It could be the beginning of something great."

"Congrats."

"Now all that's left is to find someone for you to go with."

"Kelley and I broke up less than twenty-four hours ago and you're already trying to set me up? Can't you just let nature take its course?"

"Because I know you. You're stubborn, Angel. If I don't take the initiative here and find you a girlfriend, or at the very least a Prom date, you'll never do it. And I won't stop until I do."

***

After dinner that night, Buffy drove to the department store her father owned. She needed to see Angel; needed to apologize for her nasty comments earlier that day. He'd mentioned that he had to work the night shift, so she decided to pay him a visit.

The store wasn't very crowded, and Buffy saw him as soon as she set foot inside. He was behind the cash register in lane seven, laughing with another employee, a pretty brunette girl she vaguely recognized from school. It burned inside to see Angel smile and laugh with someone that wasn't her.

There wasn't anything she needed to purchase; her sole purpose in going to the store was to see Angel. But she wanted to make it seem like a coincidence, them running into each other, not a planned effort on her part. So, she knew she'd have to buy something to make it seem less conspicuous.

"…so I told her she'd need a better excuse if she was going to call in sick. Her goldfish dying isn't a good reason to miss work. It's a fish, they die everyday. Big deal. Buy a new one and get over it."

Angel smiled. "A dog I could understand, but a fish? That I don't get, Liz."

"Me neither. But the two of us should be able to handle it. Besides, if I'm going to be stuck here until closing time, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be stuck here with than you," Liz flirted.

"Same goes for me." He knew she was flirting with him, but didn't care. Liz Daniels wasn't his type. Although after being with Kelley for so long, Angel wasn't sure what his type was anymore. Granted, Liz was a nice person, but she was someone he couldn't see as anything more than a friend. And the last thing he wanted was another girlfriend.

"I was surprised to hear about you and Kelley breaking up. You two seemed like you were in it for the long haul."

Angel frowned. "So did I."

"I guess you two just weren't meant to be."

"Guess so." He didn't want to talk about his breakup. It stung, knowing that he'd been more committed to Kelley than she'd been to him.

"Does this mean you're looking for a Prom date?" Liz wanted to know.

He raised his eyebrows, knowing exactly what she was asking. "No. I don't think I'm going to go."

"Prom is such a big deal. Right of passage, coming of age deal, right?"

"I'd rather stay home by myself." 'Beats spending the entire night watching Kelley and Parker grope each other.'

"Oh. Um, you've got a customer, Angel."

He turned around, face to face with Buffy. 'She had to pick my lane? Can my day get any worse?' he wondered. "Did you find everything you needed?" he asked formally.

She smiled at him. Her heart fluttered the second his eyes met hers; it never failed. A simple glance form him always did that to her. "Hi, Angel. Yeah, I did find everything I needed."

"Do you want me to put this on your account?"

"No, I'll pay for it now." She paused before beginning her next sentence. "How are you doing?"

Several lanes away, Liz couldn't help but laugh softly. None of the employees of the department store liked it when Buffy came in to buy something. Liz personally couldn't stand the owner's daughter, thinking that Buffy was nothing more than a spoiled rotten, nasty bitch. Her nickname around town was "Ice Princess." Someone had jokingly called her that and it ended up sticking. In Liz's opinion, the name fit the girl's personality. Cold as ice.

"I'm fine. Not much has changed since this afternoon."

Buffy took a deep breath. "I want to apologize to you."

"Why?"

"I feel really bad. You don't deserve the things I said to you and I am sorry, Angel. About everything."

Angel simply gazed at her, his face devoid of expression. "Okay. Apology accepted."

"That's it?"

"Was there supposed to be more?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"Sure."

Another customer had come up behind Buffy in line. He stood there, listening to the conversation between the two. The man waited rather impatiently while Buffy and Angel spoke. "Hey," he began. "I'm in a hurry here."

"Calm down, buddy. We'll only be another minute," Buffy replied in a snappish tone.

"You're going to get me in trouble, Buffy," Angel whispered. "I can't afford to get fired. Are you finished?"

Buffy shook her head. "My dad's not going to fire you, don't worry."

The man behind her exhaled loudly. "If you and your girlfriend are going to be having a lover's spat, could you speed it up? Some of us have places to go and people to see."

"She's not my girlfriend," Angel told him. "And we're not having a lover's spat."

She turned to the man, smiling sweetly and innocently. "Excuse me, but I see other open checkout lanes, so why don't you go to one of them? My friend and I are trying to have a conversation."

The customer narrowed his eyes at Angel. "I am having you reported to the owner, young man. You won't be working here for much longer once I'm through."

"Oh, will you?" Buffy challenged. "You know what, sir? Go right ahead. I'm the owner. Buffy Summers, pleased to make your acquaintance. What's the problem?"

Aggravated, the man took his cart and pushed it to Liz's lane, mumbling something about the corrupted youth of America. Buffy laughed. "Well, that was fun."

"No, it wasn't."

"You need to loosen up a little, Angel. You're all work and no play. It makes for a dull Angel."

"I like myself that way," he replied.

She frowned. "Yeah, but you push people away with that kind of attitude. You keep yourself detached from the outside world when there are people like me who want to get to know the real you, not the image you give off."

"Are you done yet?"

"Not quite. Look, the main reason I came here was to see you. I wanted to say how sorry I am."

"You've done that already."

"And I want to make it up to you. I want to keep working on that project with you. I promise to be more productive of a partner and I won't get pissy with you again," she promised.

"Fine."

She smiled. "Good. There's one more thing, too. Do you have plans tomorrow night?"

Angel lifted his eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"

"I want to make up for my bitchiness this afternoon. I'd like you to come over for dinner. Home cooked by me, of course," Buffy invited.

"Buffy…"

"Oh, yeah, by the way, I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. I probably should have mentioned that before. Is five-thirty good for you? I checked your schedule while I was shopping, you're not working, so you can't use that as an excuse."

Angel had to admit that her invitation came as a surprise to him. The last thing he ever expected was for Buffy to invite him over for dinner. "It's fine."

"Cool. Then I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow." Buffy took her bag in her hand and walked out of the store, a huge grin plastered on her face.

'What did I just get myself into? A date with the she-devil herself,' Angel thought.

***

Before class the next morning, Angel stood in front of his locker, pulling out the books he'd need for his first three classes. He had been moving sluggishly all morning; he'd overslept and had not bothered going through his usual morning workout routine. Deep down, he knew what it was: nerves. The prospect of having a dinner date with Buffy was making him nervous and frazzled.

When he returned home from work and told Melissa what had happened with Buffy, his sister couldn't keep herself from laughing. To her, nothing seemed funnier than her brother going out on a date with Buffy Summers.

"It's not that funny, Missy," he chastised her.

Melissa doubled over in a fit of laughter. "Yes, it is. Buffy 'Ice Princess' Summers making you dinner. Does she even know how to cook? Or is she just calling for take out?"

"I don't know, but at least I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, you never know. I might have a good time."

"Yeah, sure you will. Just remember, I told you so."

'Maybe it won't be as bad as I think. Buffy and I might actually hit it off…nah,' Angel thought as he placed his Economics book into his backpack.

A shadow fell over his locker, blocking out most of the light. He looked up to see the source of the darkness. Standing off to his left was Kelley. She flashed him an unsure smile. "Hi, Angel."

"Kelley. Can I help you with something?" he asked coldly.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. What do you want?"

Kelley shifted uncomfortably. "I came to give you this." She handed him several twenty dollar bills. "It's from Parker."

"He's giving me money in exchange for my girlfriend? I didn't realize it was a commercial transaction," Angel commented sarcastically.

"You're angry and bitter, I understand that," she began. "But you don't have to take it out on me, or Parker for that matter. What you and I had was over a long time ago."

"What's the money for, then?"

"The limo for Prom. Since you and I aren't going together anymore, Parker thought it would be nice to give you your money back. So, here it is."

He took it out of her hand. "Fine."

Kelley sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for hurting you. If it's any consolation, I still think you're a really great guy and that you'll make another girl very happy. I guess I'm just not that girl."

Angel nodded. "Tell Parker thank you. The money will pay a lot of bills this month."

"I will. How's your mother doing?"

On her way to her first class, Buffy passed by Angel's locker, witnessing the conversation he was having with his ex-girlfriend. She nearly stopped dead in her tracks, unsure of what to think. 'Why are they talking? Kelley broke up with him and should just leave him alone. Doesn't she realize it's my turn? She never loved him, not the way I do…the way I have since he and I were kindergartners. No, they can't be making up. It wouldn't be fair.'

"Hey, Buffy," someone behind her called out.

Buffy tore her eyes away from Angel and Kelley, turning to see who was calling her. It was Cordelia. "What's up?"

"Not much. Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Why?"

"'Cause I picked up a new DVD and I thought you'd want to come over and watch it with me. I hate scary movies."

Buffy laughed. "Then why did you buy it?"

"I heard that Denise Richards gets electrocuted in the hot tub and to me, that in and of itself is worth twenty dollars to watch over and over again for my enjoyment. The skanky little bitch. Not to mention that the guy in the movie is really hot. Are you gonna come over or what?" she asked.

"Or what. Sorry, Cordy, I've got a date."

Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? With whom?"

"Nobody you'd know." Buffy couldn't tell her it was with Angel. After what she'd said to Cordelia about him the day before, it would be too hard to explain her sudden change of heart.

"All right. Have fun. Gimme details." She caught sight of Angel and Kelley. "When did those two get back together?"

"I don't know if they did. Do you think it's possible?"

Cordelia shrugged. "I'm not sure. She did dump him, but she told me the other day that she enjoyed being with Parker. Something about the sex being really good."

"Oh. Sex with Angel wasn't?" She hoped Cordelia would not question why she was asking.

"More like the lack thereof. Kelley said they never did it." She paused for a moment. "Why do you care? I remember you telling me yesterday that he isn't worth our time."

"Just curious, I guess."

***

5

As promised, Angel showed up at Buffy's house at exactly five-thirty. His heart pounded rapidly and his palms were sweaty, though he couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he was going on a real date with her; it was dinner with Buffy. Taking a deep breath, Angel pressed his finger to the doorbell.

A minute later, Buffy opened the door. She flashed him a genuinely happy smile. "You're right on time. Come in, dinner's almost ready."

"Am I overdressed?" he wanted to know. While Buffy wore a pair of black jeans and a blue sweater, he'd chosen khaki pants and a white dress shirt.

"Not at all. You look really good."

"You look nice yourself."

Buffy turned away to hide the blush of her cheeks. "I, uh, I hope you like chicken. That's what I made."

"One of my favorites. You made it?"

"Yep. I promised a home-cooked meal by yours truly. Contrary to popular belief, we don't have a maid. I do all the cooking and cleaning; nobody's died from it yet, so that's a good sign."

He smiled. "I agree. But you didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"I told you last night that I wanted to make it up to you. So I made chicken breast, fried noodles and green beans. Hardly any trouble at all."

"Buffy…"

"Don't. Come on, let's eat."

***

"This is great. I've never tasted chicken like this before," Angel complimented halfway through the meal. "It's amazing."

"Thank you. I soaked it in chicken broth overnight. My mom said it keeps the meat tender and adds taste," Buffy explained.

"I'll have to thank her for the recipe."

She looked down. "She died when I was thirteen."

Angel felt like he'd put his foot in his mouth. "God, I forgot. I'm sorry, Buffy." Her mother had died in a car accident five years earlier. It had slipped his mind.

"It's okay." She reached under the table, pulling out a stack of typed pages. "These are for you," Buffy said, handing them to him.

He looked them over. "Where did you find all this?"

"Nathaniel Hawthorne's official site online. I stayed up late last night printing it all up. I felt bad about being such a bitch to you yesterday that I wanted to do all the work I could. I remember you telling me that you wanted to get it done as quickly as possible."

"You didn't have to. I was rather cranky yesterday myself. I don't usually snap on people like that."

"I deserved it. But I know. You're always really nice, I've noticed that about you. How about we start out with a clean slate?"

"I'd like that," he agreed, smiling.

"Great." She extended her hand to him. "I'm Buffy Summers, pleased to meet you."

"Angel Riches," he replied, shaking the hand Buffy offered.

Buffy bit her lower lip. "So, Angel, do you have a girlfriend?"

He shook his head. "Not anymore. I was heartlessly dumped by my girlfriend of over three years for another guy."

"You must have been heartbroken."

"I was. But I'm getting over it. It doesn't hurt so much anymore." 'Especially when I'm with you.'

***

Much to his surprise, Angel had a good time. He and Buffy found that they shared a common interest: reading Shakespearean plays. Never in his life would he have expected to have an intellectual conversation with her.

"Thank you. I had fun tonight," he said when Buffy escorted him to the front door at nine o'clock.

"I did, too. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Well, we do have class, so I assume the answer would be yes."

"I meant, do you want to come over and work on the project? Or we could just hang out and talk. That was fun, just doing that. Talking with you, I mean."

Angel only needed a moment to consider her offer. "It was. And sure. I'd love to."

She held the door open for him and he stepped down onto the porch. "Angel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Without warning, she leaned over, placing her lips softly against his. She hadn't planned on doing it, but was pleasantly surprised when Angel returned the kiss.

"Good night," she said when it ended.

He could only nod. "'Night."

Buffy watched as he pulled out of the driveway. She'd kissed him and he'd kissed her back. Closing the front door, she leaned against it, sighing heavily. 'Maybe there is a chance.'

***

Melissa was waiting in the living room when Angel walked in the door at ten after nine. Both she and her mother were watching Dateline NBC when he came home.

"Did you have a good time, Angel?" Mrs. Riches asked.

"Uh-huh. I'm going in my bedroom, I'm tired. Good night."

Mrs. Riches stared after him. "Is he okay? Angel's usually more talkative about his dates. He hardly gave me any details. That's what I look forward to when you kids get home. The details."

Melissa shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what his problem is. But I'm going to find out. Be back in a little bit with those details, Mom."

She headed down the hall and knocked on her brother's door. "Angel, it's Missy. Let me in."

"Go away. I don't want to hear it."

"Hear what? Come on, don't be this way. I only want to find out how your date went. Please," Melissa begged.

Five seconds later, he opened the bedroom door. She entered, taking note of the fact that he'd strewn his clothes on the floor. Something was bothering him, that she knew. He was never that haphazard about his belongings; he'd always been a neat-freak. Angel himself sat on his bed in a pair of sweatpants, reading a stack of papers.

"Was it really that bad?" she wanted to know.

"It was fine," he answered simply, not bothering to look up from the papers.

Melissa sat down next to him. "If you're acting this way, I'm going out on a limb and saying that everything's not fine. What is it?"

"You have to promise not to say anything."

"I'll keep my mouth shut, I promise. What happened with Buffy, Angel? Did she try to poison your food or something?"

Angel shook his head. "Dinner was great. She made chicken, noodles and green beans, then brownies for dessert. She's a great cook, the best I'd say."

"Hey! I take offense to that. Who cooks your meals everyday?" Melissa joked.

"I didn't mean it like that. I've just never tasted anything so good in my life. It was different from the stuff you make."

Melissa looked closely at him. "You've got that look in your eye, Angel. Don't tell me you're falling for the Ice Princess."

"You know, Missy, I don't know. I think maybe I am."

"What?!" she screeched. "No, you're just on the rebound from Kelley. You don't actually have feelings for her…do you?"

"I do. She's not as bad as everyone thinks she is. Buffy's nice and funny and…well, pretty. We talked about all kinds of things, stuff you would never expect she'd have any interest in. Like books and poetry and baseball. I like her. Really, truly like her."

"What is wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird? She's just a girl. A rich, snobby girl."

"Forget it."

She widened her eyes. It all made sense to her. "Did you two actually do something besides talk?"

"There was a kiss. That's it."

"And you liked it," she assumed.

He nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Angel, we're talking about Buffy Summers here. The Ice Princess, the she-devil incarnate, whatever you want to call her. You're missing Kelley and that's making you think you have these feelings for Buffy. But you don't. It's not real. It's Kelley missage."

"You don't understand, and I wouldn't expect you to. But I felt more emotion and feeling in one kiss with Buffy than I did in three years worth of kisses from Kelley."

"Okay, let me get this straight. The super bitch from hell makes you dinner and gives you a kiss good night and now you're head over heels in love with her? You have gross emotional problems, are you aware of that?"

"There's nothing wrong with me, I'm emotionally fine. I'll admit it, I'm still hurt from what Kelley did, but you know what? When I'm with Buffy, the pain is less. It doesn't hurt. She makes me feel like me again," Angel explained to his sister.

"A girl like that will only hurt you. Please, don't get suckered in. I hate seeing you hurt."

He sighed. "I'm not going to get hurt. We shared a kiss and a nice dinner conversation."

"Are you going out with her again?"

"Tomorrow. We're working on our project at her house."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"What do you have against Buffy? You don't know her and she hasn't done anything to you."

Melissa blinked. "I know what she will do to you. Girls like her find nice guys like you and use them for their own amusement until something better comes along."

"What do you mean 'girls like her'?" Angel demanded.

"Rich girls."

"Rich girls don't have feelings? They aren't capable of them?"

"None that their fathers haven't bought for them."

"If you gave her a chance, you'd see that she isn't like that. She's nice and normal, just like us. Only with a bigger house and a better car."

Melissa shook her head. "No, thank you. But you know what? Have your fun. Just don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart into a million pieces."

***

Go to Part 6